Marc Muniesa
On Saturday November 6, a Barcelona B match was awash with scouts from as many as 18 clubs.
Representatives from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, FC Schalke 04, Valencia CF and Atletico Madrid were casting their eyes on the latest stars to be produced at La Masia – Barcelona 's famed academy.
Victor Valdes, Gerard Pique , Carles Puyol , Xavi , Andres Iniesta , Bojan Krkic , Lionel Messi , Cesc Fabregas , Mikel Arteta , Pepe Reina , and even current Barcelona coach Pepe Guardiola, are all graduates of the revered academy – which Spain and football as a whole have a lot to thank for.
Scouting
The players invited to the academy are not just from Catalonia or the rest of Spain.
Although 15 scouts are deployed in Catalonia and 15 in the rest of the country, 10 more are scouring the planet for talent who they aim to pluck from a very early age.
South Korean starlet Sheng Ho Park - who at 13 was labeled as the ‘Korean Messi,' - eight-year-old Oliver Antman, 12-year-old Argentine Guido Vadala and Under-14 Al Jazira youth player Rabee Abdullah Al Juneibi, are just some of those recently spotted during Barcelona 's scouting exploits overseas.
Messi himself moved to Spain from Argentina at the age of 11.
Set up and facilities
“Here all the players are Barça players, they feel Barça because they share our way of doing things”- Barcelona President Sandro Rossel.
The Barcelona academy is made up of 15 teams, 290 players and 110 employees. It goes without saying that all the budding stars are aiming to get into the Barcelona first team, but they have to do so via its feeder team, Barcelona B, which plays in the Segunda División.
The La Masia, (or farmhouse), residence, located in the vicinity of the Nou Camp, houses some 60 young players from outside the region who have had to leave their families in order to train at Barcelona . As well as their football training, the players are sent to the local schools, with the club drumming home the importance of education in all their trainees.
The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, located in the Sant Joan Despí, is where it all happens – the base of both the Barcelona academy and the first team.
As expected the facilities - which include five grass pitches, four artificial grass pitches, three gymnasiums, four first aid areas, and a pool and saunas area - are second to none.
The new La Masia residence is set to open there in early 2011, and have an increased capacity for around 85 players.
Size doesn’t matter
"At Barca, I hardly ever trained without a ball at my feet" - Lionel Messi
There is an emphasis on skill, technique and attitude at the academy, with little or no attention paid to strength and size.
As Guillermo Amor, Barcelona 's sporting director of youth football, said at the recent Ciutat Esportiva, "You have skills and with the right attitude you can make it."
With home-produced players making up such a big part of the Barcelona first team squad, the incentives for the youth players could not be greater
The club attempts to instill a philosophy of one touch, short passing football into their players at a very early age. It also teaches them how to change positions quickly - the Dutch 'Total Football' approach.
Coaches
All of the academy coaches at Barcelona are former professionals, with Luis Enrique managing Barça B.
They work under the guidance of Amor, Jordi Mestre – the director responsible for youth football – and Narcís Julià and Albert Puig, who coordinate between the professional and youth set ups.
Ones to watch
Marc Muniesa
Age: 18
Position: Central defender
A young centre-back who resembles Carles Puyol in looks and in style of play, while resembling Gerard Pique in his passing game. Muniesa is a composed and strong defender, also capable of playing on the left flank. He is a decent passer of the ball and has good positional sense. Above all he is a real leader. He is a huge promise who plays as if he were much older that his 18 years.
Thiago Alcantara
Age: 19
Position: Attacking mid(C)
The son of famous Brazilian player Mazinho is a highly talented young attacking midfielder/playmaker. His best qualities are his passing and dribbling skills, which have already caught the eye of many clubs around the continent. Thiago is a fast and creative player who can dictate the pace of the game and score goals, so he can also play as second striker.
Oriol Romeu
Age: 19
Position: Defensive midfielder
Romeu is mainly a defensive midfielder, but he can also function very well as a central defender and he has enough technique to play as midfielder in a two central-midfielder line-up. He has a rare blend of pace, strength, tactical sense, technique and anticipation He recently committed his future to the Catalan club, disappointing Arsenal who had apparently been tracking him.
